1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to skirts of irons.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The term iron skirt is intended to mean the outer visible part of the iron casing which is located directly above the hot iron soleplate. A heat shield is often installed in the iron skirt, which is usually produced from plastic, and, in the case of steam irons, is arranged between the soleplate and the water container. The iron skirt is part of the iron housing.
The iron skirt has to withstand the heat of the iron soleplate and has to have certain esthetic features which are important to the user. The iron skirt is usually produced from plastic by injection molding, it being necessary for the plastic and the coloring thereof to be heat-stable. Iron skirts made of metal are usually produced, starting from a metal blank, by deep-drawing and are then provided with an esthetically pleasing protective covering, e.g. made of chrome.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,310 discloses a specific production process for metal iron skirts which is distinguished by the edges of the metal blank being bent over. U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,021 discloses iron skirts which, for example, are also formed from plastic and then chrome-plated.
The known iron skirts are produced in processes which are distinguished by being discontinuous, the elements having to pass, one after the other, a number of tools for operations such as molding/casting or deep-drawing and completion. The provision of each new type of iron skirt thus involves high costs for expensive tools, which constitutes an obstacle to the further development of the shaping. In addition, the tools are essentially type-specific and do not make it possible for a family of similar products to be provided easily.